Notre Dame Football: 20 biggest wins of the Brian Kelly era

Notre Dame Football: 20 biggest wins of the Brian Kelly era

19. Notre Dame 29, Pitt 26 (2012)

In hindsight, letting Pitt take you to three overtimes should be a warning sign about your likelihood for success playing Alabama in the National Championship. Still, you don’t make the National Championship Game if you lose to Pitt at all, making this an incredibly important win.

Adding to how vital it is to beat Pitt, this was a great game to watch for the casual observer. Pitt came out and slugged with Notre Dame in the first half, good enough for a halftime lead. Then, they jumped Notre Dame in the third quarter, adding ten more points to take a 20-6 lead.

Everett Golson wouldn’t need Tommy Rees to save him this week, though, as Golson led the 14-point comeback with touchdown passes to TJ Jones and Theo Riddick, plus a two-point conversion to force overtime. In overtime, there would be an exchange of field goals, two failed attempts to score highlighted by a Cierre Wood fumble, and a missed Kevin Harper field goal.

Finally, the game would be won in overtime number three, as Pitt settled for a field goal, but Golson won the day for Notre Dame by sneaking it into the endzone.

Yes, the Irish should have won by more. Pitt was only 4-4 coming into the game after all, which opened Notre Dame up to criticism on the national level about how good they actually were. Still, the Irish did win and they won excitingly in a season they’d play for a National Championship in.